Thursday, May 28, 2009

Here come the rumors

Jayson Stark of ESPN has a long post about trade rumorsand here's what he said about the Orange and Black -- The Giants continue to step up their efforts to dangle Jonathan Sanchez and/or pitching prospects for a middle-of-the-order bat. They were shot down by Florida on Dan Uggla and Jorge Cantu. And we also heard a rumor they were scouting Carlos Lee, a guy they hotly pursued as a free agent three winters ago. But Lee has a full no-trade through 2010. And one club that inquired about him over the winter says it was told Lee has already informed the Astros he's "not going anywhere" as long as his no-trade is in place.

So who was it who did NOT get a bat, passing on Adam Dunn and over-spending on Renteria? Here's the pretzel logic Knapp uses in her conclusion -- Sabean might be entirely responsible for this predicament; he made no bold moves to acquire a hitter in the offseason. But upper-level management defined this as a season in limbo by refusing to do anything with Sabean, granting a commitment or a pink slip. So when the panic set, he didn't appear to be the original source.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

He's back -- the crappy Zito, that is

Barry Zito didn't fool the Mariners much today, giving up a two-run HR to Junior in the first and a 3-run shot to Adrian Beltre -- right after the Giants had come back with a massive (for this offense) 3-run rally. Zito is now 1-5 and still a good bet to lead the majors in losses this year. Doug Davis of the Dbacks is the current leader at 6.

More good news from Connecticut

The looming arrival of the top Giant prospects this year or next plus the lousy performance of the offense looks like it may create a lot of roster movement. Andrew Baggarly of the Merc-News reports that club sources are saying that the Giants will listen to offers for Matt Cain. Given Brian Sabean's inability to judge talent, I'm already a bit concerned that such a trade could be another Sabean disaster.

As ugly as it gets for the Orange and Black

Where do I begin? Back to back sweeps at Petco; Jesus Guzman bombing in his MLB debut, Brian Wilson spiraling down toward epic awfulness, the offense continues to be on life support, Tim Lincecum looks like the new Matt Cain in terms of lack of support and the Giants (now 19-21) look like a team that will post their 5th consecutive losing season.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

The premium for pitching

The timing's interesting with the Padres pitchers -- neither of them named Peavy -- having shut down the Giants offense for 2 straight games. That shows the kind of attractiveness that frontline pitchers carry. I'm sure that teams are going to be begging the Giants for Jonathan Sanchez as the trade deadline approaches.

It's always kind of disgusting to lose in San Diego. Even though Petco's a nice place, many of the fans are low-class losers who cheered their no-talent pitcher throwing at and hitting Barry Bonds a few years ago. And what the hell is it with Scott Hairston -- a marginal talent at best with 45 career HRS, with ELEVEN against the Giants, according to the SF Chron's Henry Shulman. The Orange and Black seems to have a knack for salvaging the careers of borderline players.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Will the Thrill comes through

Lincoln Mitchell has written a wonderful recap of Game 5 of the NLCS playoffs in 1989 at Baseball Chronicles. Here's some fine writing -- Clark stood on first, Thompson on third and the game stopped. The crowd cheered for several minutes. Crazy Charlie, Johnnie Mash and I fell on top of each other. The hundreds of hours of our youth we had spent shivering, eating bad hot dogs, warm soda and soft popcorn watching the hapless Giants lose as groundballs went through the legs of the likes of Johnnie Lemaster or Rennie Stennett or as forgettable players like Jerry Martin and Milt May failed to drive in runs and pitchers like Atlee Hammaker and Jeff Robinson gave up walks and home runs, seemed worth it at that moment.

And here's part of Grant's verbiage -- Over 27% of the balls he hits in the air don’t leave the infield. That number is insane, and far above where it usually is for Rowand. While it’s tempting to write that off as a fluke, it might be more indicative of a problem with his swing.Moises Alou’s swing, which relied on crazy-quick wrists, is the kind of swing that would allow Alou to hit until he’s 50 if he weren’t so dinged up. His legs might have ached, and his body might have been aging, but the wrists were helping him crank out productive seasons. I wonder if Rowand is the exact opposite – his bizarre stance can’t help him get to the ball quicker, and maybe it’s the kind of thing that would actually hasten his decline. Playing the outfield like the Kool-Aid pitcher on meth probably hasn’t helped his body, either.There are three years and $36M left on Aaron Rowand’s contract. Good grief. He’s still one of the only hitters on the 40-man-roster who’s less than five years removed from being a legitimate middle-of-the-order hitter, but it’s silly to expect that kind of return to form. We’ll have to treat him with Zito gloves, praying he returns to being a useful player instead of an All-Star. I’ll hold out some hope for “useful,” which would mean that he hits a little bit more than he has so far this year while playing a fantastic center field. That fantastic defense didn’t show up last year, and the nnumbers are even worse this year so far. And when we ask "what's wrong," it's worth noting that he isn't that far off of his career pace, which is kind of a terrifying thought.Is he turning it around? He's 11 for 33 since May 10, including 4 for 7 in the last two games. I'd like to be hopeful but I remain skpetical.

Along about eighteen and twenty-fiveI left Tennessee very much aliveI never would have got through the Arkansas mudIf I hadn't been a-ridin on the Tennessee studI had some trouble with my sweetheart's paOne of her brothers was a bad outlawI sent her a letter by my Uncle FudAnd I rode away on the Tennessee studCHORUS:The Tennessee stud was long and leanThe color of the sun and his eyes were greenHe had the nerve and he had the bloodAnd there never was a hoss like the Tennessee studWe drifted on down into no man's landWe crossed the river called the Rio GrandeI raced my hoss with the Spaniards boldTill I got me a skin full of silver and goldMe and a gambler we couldn't agreeWe got in a fight over TennesseeWe jerked our guns, he fell with a thudAnd I got away on the Tennessee studCHORUSWell, I got as lonesome as a man can beDreamin' of my girl in TennesseeThe Tennessee stud's green eyes turned blue'Cause he was a-dreamin' of a sweetheart tooWe loped on back across ArkansasI whipped her brother and I whipped her paI found that girl with the golden hairAnd she was ridin' on a Tennessee mare (Whoa boy!)CHORUSStirrup to stirrup and side by sideWe crossed the mountains and the valleys wideWe came to Big Muddy and we forded the floodOn the Tennessee mare and the Tennessee studPretty little baby on the cabin floorLittle hoss colt playin' 'round the doorI love the girl with golden hairAnd the Tennessee stud loves the Tennessee mareCHORUS: The Tennessee stud was long and leanThe color of the sun and his eyes were greenHe had the nerve and he had the bloodAnd there never was a hoss like the Tennessee stud

Matt Cain shows how it's done

I heard Jeremy Affeldt give a nice interview to Joe Castelano on XM about his huge 8th inning strikout of Gary Sheffield on an inside fastball with two on and no one out. "If you miss, you want to miss inside," he said. "Bengie set up in the perfect location." Affeldt revealed that Sheff had taken him yard earlier in his career -- "That's probably why I'm not a starter anymore" -- and hit several line drives back through the box.

Hopefully, this is the kind of game that the pitching staff can deliver with some regularity after its meltdown in recent days.

I must also note that I was about to go crazy listening to Joe Morgan on ESPN go on and on about the import of leadership in the clubhouse....as if Joe's tapped in towhat happens there. What a waste of time. Too bad the Fire Joe Morgan blog got retired. At any rate, David Wright then got thrown out trying to steal second and Joe actually had some insightful stuff to say, such as Wright have started his headfirst dive too soon. Jon Miller then noted that Wright is now 10 for 17 this year in steals, which is a pretty crappy percentge, and pointed out the idiocy of headfirst slides, noting out that Alex Cora had banged himself up at second doing just that earlier in the game -- so much so that Fernando Tatis had to play short for the first time in 11 years.

Giants pitching falls apart

What was supposed to be the strength of the Orange and Black has collapsed over the past eight games since Barry Zito, of all people, closed down the Dodgers in the 3-1 victory on May 8. The Giants got hammered the next day, 8-0, then managed to put together a 3-game win streak despite giving up 5 runs to the Dodgers in extras, followed by 7 runs each night against the Nats. Since Sandoval's epic 3-run homer saved Tuesday night's game -- and left the season record at 18-14-- the Giants have given up 6 runs to the Nats, 7 to the Mets, 8 to the Mets and 9 to the Mets today. The Giants have lost the first by 3, the second by 3, the third by 2 and the fourth by 3. Anyone see a pattern here? Does that mean we'll see the final score be Mets 10, Giants 7 on Sunday night?

I could hear the disgust with Rowand mounting in the first inning when Duane Kuiper and Dave Flemming recounted another awful at bat in the first. The Giants had just gotten four straight hits by Lewis, Sandoval, Molina and Winn and had a 2-1 lead with one out with Bengie on third and Winn on second. Rowand, who's getting $12 million a year, could not get the run home; instead he struck out -- the first of another 0-for-4 night. Aurilia salvaged the rally with a two-run single.

Attendance set a new low as it was slightly under 24,000 -- breaking the former low by over 2,000. I actually felt a small twinge of sympathy for the scalpers. Both the Big Unit and Osiris Matos got hits tonight. Matos got an RBI, so now he's only one behind Fred Lewis.

The Giants took their second consecutive series against Los Angeles since the Dodgers swept them here in April, which, in fact, is the last series the Giants have lost. They also finished 4-3 on a trip to Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles that was devised by a travel agent who hates people. Beyond that, and perhaps most important, they kicked the first-place Dodgers when they were down. Had the Dodgers taken their first series without Manny Ramirez, they might have driven home with a lot less doubt about their next 46 games.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day

The Giants web site has this letter on it today from Travis Ishikawa --Dear Mom,One of the biggest things I'll remember about you is your unconditional love, and your support. You always found a way to get to my athletic and school events. I appreciate how you always found time while juggling work to take care of my sister and me, and to make sure we got where we needed to be.Love, Travis

But back to Zito. Over the past four games, he's delivered the kind of frontline pitching that actually justifies an $18 million a year salary. There were signs in the second half of the year after his 0-8 start that he had started to regain his old ability but then he'd have a crappy start just to remind everyone of how awful his contract was -- such as this 6-2 loss last August to the Dodgers.

Baseball Prospectus said before this season that the Giants should start looking for a Mike Hampton-style trade (absorbing most of the expense of his contract) in order to have a decent 2011 rotation. It also declared that Zito was the Giants' fifth starter and third best lefty behind Sanchez and Big Unit but added, "If you want to grasp at some very thin straws of hope, Zito did shave more than a run off of his ERA in the second half and pitched quite well in September."

Thursday, May 07, 2009

A great day for Dodger haters

Dodger fans -- many of them among the least knowledgeable and most smug in baseball -- have never come to terms with the obvious contradiction that while they were chanting "Barry sucks" endlessly, the Eric "The Fat Frenchie" Gagne and Paul LoDuca were steroid abusers. So eat it, Dodger fans. Eat it raw.

And whoever keeps trying to post messages whining about how unfair and biased I am, stop wasting your time by hanging around here. I will never post your stupid messages. It's my site, not yours. And after a lifetime of listening to Dodger fans whining about how their team is somehow morally entitled to win every pennant, I'm not interested in meeting your delusional definition of "fair and unbiased." If you don't like it, then get out of here. Besides, the Dodgers are still by far the best team in the NL West even without Manny the Maniac, so what do you care?

Manny suspended for 50 games for drug test violation

The world's worst columnist, Bill Plaschke of the LA Times, is opining from his lofty perch that the Dodgers should dump Manny. But Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer has a much more sensible take in a piece headlined "Manny's a dope but who cares?" Here's the key verbiage -- Baseball has overcome the Black Sox, the designated hitter and the occasional canceled World Series. It has weathered the Hit King’s gambling and the Home Run King’s ultra-large lid. The reaction to the Steroid Age? Record attendance.Fans don’t care, unless it affects their team, and even then, the freak show is a momentary diversion. Every passing parade has its unusuals. They entertain, too, in their way. Baseball has nothing to worry about.After 50 games, Manny Ramirez will be back. If the Dodgers are still in contention and Manny helps them to the postseason, all will be forgotten. Just because five of the top 12 home run hitters ever have at least been linked to steroid use doesn’t mean fans don’t dig the long ball. Fans see it for what it is: It’s just Baseball being Baseball.

There was Barry, in the seat adjoining that of the individual in charge of the Giants, Bill Neukom, receiving a standing ovation. There was Manny on the diamond, receiving derision for no reason other than he’s Manny. And a Dodger.Although during the winter, when Manny was a free agent, there was talk he might even sign with the Giants. Which would have made him the new idol in a region that without Bonds, without Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jose Canseco, Jim Plunkett, is bereft of idols.And so Bonds is remembered fondly. He is the symbol of better days, of headlines and cover stories, of the recognition the Giants, and the region, no longer receive.Neukom was the lead attorney for Microsoft for nearly a quarter-century. And there he was, schmoozing with someone who has been indicted on perjury, although mostly because the U.S. government, which ought to be more concerned with other matters, is out to get Bonds.

Not only did the Giants lose that game but the scoreless streak was instrumental in convincing Hall of Fame voters to over-value Drysdale's career and elect him in his 10th year of eligibility -- making him one of those marginal guys who would deserve inclusion if there were a "Hall of the Very Good." He's not as bad as some of the Veterans Committee selections like Chick Hafey, Ross Youngs, Vic Willis and Freddie Lindstrom. But he's undistinguished in the same way that Jim Bunning and Red Ruffing are. Would the Hall of Fame count for less without Drysdale, Bunning or Ruffing? Drysdale is one of those guys that makes you ask, "Well, if he's in the Hall, why aren't Jim Kaat, Luis Tiant, Bert Blyleven and Tommy John?" So I submit that if Wendelstedt doesn't gag and instead makes the right call, Drysdale doesn't get into the Hall.

So far, the Giants have met every hope-tinged expectation and every worst-case scenario at the same time. After Saturday's feeble offensive effort, they rank second in runs allowed and rank last in runs scored. The starting pitching is among the game's best despite Cain's meh-level outing, though the bullpen ranks in the lower fifth, but the hitting ... So the question needs to be asked - are the projected revenues sufficient to allow the Giants to be a player in the expected distressed hitter sales in June and July?"I can't say yet," Neukom said. "Right now we're below flat (revenues based on last year's net) and further below 2007. We'd like to be in a position so that if the time came to do something, we'd have enough dry powder, but we're not at that stage quite yet."

I feel obliged to note that Ratto doesn't mention that there is a guy named Bonds who's eager to play and might solve the problem -- at a minimum of expense and a maximum of fan interest. It would simply take a gutsy ownership willing to tell Bud Selig to go to hell.

Best win of the year

"When I watch the game in the fourth inning and there are no hits, and the sixth inning and he's still pitching a shutout, and he goes seven innings and it goes to the bullpen, I get a little sense of urgency," Wilson said. "I want to get in there and shut the game off right there. I hope I can keep getting saves for him when he gets to 300."So why would I say this was the "best win of the year"? I posted that headline and then thought I can't even explain why. After 10 minutes or so, it hit me -- the Giants were NEVER over .500 last year, not for a single day. Here we are in May, 21 games into the season, and they are. I should warn about getting too excited and point out that the 2007 team managed to get to two games over .500 more than a quarter into the season at 24-22 but then they lost a nightmare game in Denver, 6-4, as the pen turned a Matt Cain win into an Armando Blownitez loss. The team just unraveled after that, going 47-69. Of course, Barry Bonds actually got blamed for that even though he was by far the best player on the team.